The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1887-05-28

'leys' service, while the visitors ser.
wants, 1t happened seemed equally above
suspicion. The only person who Ven.
tured to differ from the o1lcials|was
Captain lie Marchant, owho openly
pooh-poohed the whole thing as SIMPLY
invented by the police to screen their
own incompetence. .,,s,,,
Whether from conviction or opposE
tion. Miss Clifford embraced the police
theory, and before long her suspicion
fell on the maid Of one or the visitors,
whom she felt convinced was at least an
accomplice. I Unfortunately for this
poor girl, Cecil Clifford con1ded her
doubts to her cousin, who in her turn
Srirconsci sciously betrayed them to the de-
'tectiye,Sso tRe @nlucky maid WAS i'm
mediately placed under surveillance
that, rendered her life burden to her,
and ultimately cost her her situation.
J0aptain LIE Marchanty demonstrated
seYefal times on the subject with his
fdncs-for such she really was, though
the engagement was not officially ac-
knowledged7-but without effect. She
somehow seemed to distrust him, as of
late, from some cause or other, his
usually sunny temper had quite deser-
ted him: his tongue had acquired
bitterness new to his friends; while his
andso me, merry face had grown to
look worn and haggard.
! miss Clifford, though still persisting
III her,opinion, bore his structures with
gentle patience, laying the very evil
dent temper he showed to the account
of some money troubles that she well
knew were worrying him; but at last
he went too far, and ere their inter.
view on this occasion terminated the
engagement between them was sum-
marily broken off by the lady.
Captain LIE Marchant never took any
steps TO bring about a. reconciliation,
which, on her side, Cecil Clifford was
far too proud to dream Of, though
what the estrangement cost her she
could only have told. AL she knew
about him was that he had exchanged
into a regiment stationed in India, and
beyond one other fact she heard no
more OF him till three Or four years
later the newspapers told her that he
had joined the army in Egypt. and
formed one Of the band sent to tho re-
lief Of Gordon and Khartoum.
Strangely enough, the one fact that she
did hear privately-namely, his having
before leaving England provided for
the future of the poor girl who had
suffered so severely from the
suspicious that were cast upon her
about the lost diamonds-only seemed
to render her more incensed against
her erstwhile betrothed.
Six or seven years had passed since
the burglary Of Langley, when, one
night, toward the end of the season,
Miss Clilford-Miss Clifford still, in
spite Of her wealth and beauty-at a
dinner found herself being introduced
to "Colonel LIE MarchGnt' by her host,
who, ignorant of their previous ac-
quaintance, had been actuated by a
benevolent desire ito do dear old
Denis a good turn by making him ac-
quainted with the heiress. I. |
The old lovers stood for a moment
face to face in silence, scrutlnizing one
another, the lady secretly, though not
a trace Of the hard work he had under
gone escaped her; the gentleman
openly. He was the first to speak.
''It is long since we met, Miss Cliff
ford"
mot long since we were together
at Langley, she replied softly.
eyes, when the diamonds were
stolen. I wonder If that business will
ever be cleared upp"
just then dinner was announced,
and the guests fled down in solemn
procession. Although Colonel 4 Lei
Marchant escorted Miss Clifford, her
attention was at first claimed by her
other neighbors. But when the con.
versation had become sufficiently ami
mated to allow Of private conversation,
Colonel lie Marchant turned toward
her and their eyes met, aIgJ q
"What a wretched time that .was,o
she said softly. zf,EsFlsI
"At Langley, do you mean? Yes,
indeed, it was. But was 1T not
curious how they found these dia.
mondsl''
"Found theml you don't say sol" he
exclaimed eagerly. ""When2 Do tell
|! me, please. Miss Clifford. You see,
only came home a few days ago, and
have heard nothing.'
iil'OhI tits nearly a year since. Sir
James was out fishing with one of the
boys, when his line got tangled in the